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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Crusaders Football Club plans shared north Belfast campus | Crusaders Football Club plans shared north Belfast campus |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A leading Irish League football club is behind plans to build a shared education campus in north Belfast. | A leading Irish League football club is behind plans to build a shared education campus in north Belfast. |
| Crusaders Football Club has drawn up proposals for new education and sports facilities close to their Seaview stadium on Belfast's Shore Road. | Crusaders Football Club has drawn up proposals for new education and sports facilities close to their Seaview stadium on Belfast's Shore Road. |
| The junior club, Newington Youth Football Club, was also involved in drawing up the plans. | The junior club, Newington Youth Football Club, was also involved in drawing up the plans. |
| The proposed site is the current Loughside playing fields, between the M2 and the Mount Vernon estate. | The proposed site is the current Loughside playing fields, between the M2 and the Mount Vernon estate. |
| 'Sensitive site' | 'Sensitive site' |
| If the campus goes ahead, the clubs said they would seek to develop a 4,000 capacity shared sports stadium on the site. | |
| They added that they have already held a number of preliminary discussions about the project with prospective partners. | They added that they have already held a number of preliminary discussions about the project with prospective partners. |
| They include the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB), the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE). | They include the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB), the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE). |
| The clubs have also met with representatives from the Irish Football Association (IFA) and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). | The clubs have also met with representatives from the Irish Football Association (IFA) and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). |
| However, in their initial expression of interest to the Department of Education, the clubs acknowledge that the proposed site "would be perceived to be within" the Protestant, unionist and loyalist community. | However, in their initial expression of interest to the Department of Education, the clubs acknowledge that the proposed site "would be perceived to be within" the Protestant, unionist and loyalist community. |
| The document states that "it is a sensitive site in community relations terms and does need the involvement and support of the clubs, the community and the whole political spectrum". | The document states that "it is a sensitive site in community relations terms and does need the involvement and support of the clubs, the community and the whole political spectrum". |
| Deadline | Deadline |
| The Loughside site is currently owned by Belfast City Council so it would also have to agree to be part of any development. | The Loughside site is currently owned by Belfast City Council so it would also have to agree to be part of any development. |
| Crusaders and Newington previously announced plans for a shared stadium in the area in 2008, but that did not progress. | Crusaders and Newington previously announced plans for a shared stadium in the area in 2008, but that did not progress. |
| They now hope that building a shared education campus first will provide fresh impetus for a stadium. | They now hope that building a shared education campus first will provide fresh impetus for a stadium. |
| In January, the Department of Education called for interested parties to submit proposals for shared education campuses, in which a number of schools come together to share a site, buildings, classes and sports facilities. | In January, the Department of Education called for interested parties to submit proposals for shared education campuses, in which a number of schools come together to share a site, buildings, classes and sports facilities. |
| The initial model is the Lisanelly Campus in Omagh, County Tyrone, where six existing schools will eventually be sited. | The initial model is the Lisanelly Campus in Omagh, County Tyrone, where six existing schools will eventually be sited. |
| Education Minister John O'Dowd wants to create a further 10 similar campuses. | |
| Expressions of interest from groups keen to develop sites must be received by 31 March. | Expressions of interest from groups keen to develop sites must be received by 31 March. |
| It is this deadline that Crusaders FC and Newington YC are working towards. | It is this deadline that Crusaders FC and Newington YC are working towards. |
| Mark Langhammer, from Seaview Enterprises which is behind the proposal, said the plan was at a very early stage. | Mark Langhammer, from Seaview Enterprises which is behind the proposal, said the plan was at a very early stage. |
| "The next stage is actually to apply to the Department of Education," he said. | "The next stage is actually to apply to the Department of Education," he said. |
| "This particular proposal is not dependent on whether there's a stadium there or not, it focuses on education. | "This particular proposal is not dependent on whether there's a stadium there or not, it focuses on education. |
| "The stadium isn't a must do in the middle of this, it's a 'might happen'." | "The stadium isn't a must do in the middle of this, it's a 'might happen'." |
| He added: "Of the dozen schools that are in the immediate locality, all of them have very significant facilities deficits as measured by the schools' handbook. | |
| "What we're not proposing is that schools co-locate here, we're proposing that they share classrooms and fields to do particular education programmes." |